Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Philomen is our cook, maintenance man, heavy lifter, and all-around handy guy here at Serena, but it turns out he may also be the brains in camp. He’s figured out the ultimate baboon deterrent.

The baboons here are persistent and crafty. They linger in the bushes until we leave the kitchen tent unattended, then they make their move and take off with whatever they can carry...bales of flour, bananas, dirty dishes, anything. They’ve managed to open zippers, untie knots, and foil every single attempt we’ve made at primate-proofing…until now.

Philomen’s solution is elegantly simple: any time we’re away from the kitchen tent, he turns on the radio. The baboons hear the chatter and think we’re still standing guard, so they keep their distance. Genius!

I imagine those wily critters will figure out our trick eventually, but for now, we’re ahead in the baboon battle.

Help Support the Research

You can help support our research by making a donation to the Hyena Research Fund at MSU. Your contributions provide necessary resources for the students and scientists to continue our work. Use the link below to make a donation or contact MSU for additional details.